Page 27 of Haakon's Fate
Gytha bit her lip. Who was she fooling? She already liked him, far too much. That was the problem.
“No, I thank you but I don’t think killing Oswald would solve anything.” Though it would definitely put an end to the threat the man represented, her conscience would plague her till her dying day if she asked anyone to commit murder in her name.
“I never said anything about killing him,” Haakon’s voice was little more than a growl. “I only said he could pay for what he tried to do.”
Did she want to know what he meant by that? She wasn’t sure she would like it, so she didn’t insist. If he told her what he intended to do with the man, she would no doubt have nightmares about it for days on end.
“No. Please. I’m sure he will have learned his lesson after what happened tonight.” At least that was the hope.
“Mm. If you say so.” Haakon didn’t sound in the least convinced but, to her relief, he seemed content to let her choose the best course of action.
They remained facing each other for a long time, not talking. The tiny, flickering candle at their feet was the only source of light around. In the near darkness, Haakon appeared taller than usual, even more intense and handsome, almost menacing. What would she have thought had she not known him? Would she have worried for her safety? If she had been wary of being on her own with Oswald, who was nowhere near as intimidating, what should she feel when faced with the epitome of the Norse warrior her people still feared, even decades after the devastating raids? No. Somehow she had the impression that she would always have known that this man could pose no threat to her safety.
Only to her senses.
Then, without warning, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned a muscular shoulder on the wall next to him. Just like that, the tension dissipated. His body suddenly relaxed and she knew what was coming. He would revert back to his usual teasing manner. She would have to brace herself for his jests rather than worry about the effect his proximity created within her. It would be a welcome relief.
As soon as he opened his mouth, she was proven right.
“You could thank me, you know, for sparing you from Oswald’s advances. Had I not been in your bed when he enteredthe room, you would have been the one lying in it when he decided it was time to act on his desires.”
Oh Lord. That was too dire to contemplate. The thought made Gytha reply more curtly than she would normally have.
“Had you not been in it, the bed would have been empty and he would have left. I told you, I had planned to spend the night away, specifically to avoid having to see him. It seems that I was right to be cautious.”
She had gone to her friend, Agnes, at the end of the street, only coming back when dawn was not far away.
“Have you told your father how insistent the man is?”
“No. He knows Oswald wants to marry me, of course, and why, but I have not revealed the extent of his obsession.” After her mother’s death and his ever-demanding work, her poor father had enough to deal with.
Haakon nodded, then gave what might have passed for a pout in someone less fierce. “No thanks for me, then?”
Gytha lifted her chin. “No.”
Why was she being so contrary? She was grateful, undeniably. But she hated seeing him ask for her gratitude, showing her that she had been woefully remiss for not thinking of it herself. She hated him pointing out how desperate her situation was, because unfortunately, she knew it all too well. If Oswald was not above coming to her bed when he thought her defenseless, what would happen next? She could not deal with the answer to that question, so instead she addressed Haakon.
“But I do have a question for you. What were you doing in my room, in my bed, I should say, in the middle of the night?”
This was what she had been wondering about from the moment he had told her he’d been the one under Oswald.
Haakon took in a deep inhale and tried to calm the beating of his heart.
Trust Gytha to make it appear as ifhewas in the wrong instead of thanking him for what he’d done. It was like it had been with Rowena. She had assumed he had a nefarious idea in mind, rather than accept that perhaps, there was a good reason for what had happened.
“I was waiting for you,” he said curtly, deciding she didn’t deserve to be told it had not been his decision to go to her room. As to lying on her bed, he had only done so to get the rest he’d earned three times over after the confrontation with the slave trader.
“I see.” Had her eyebrow arched more, it would have disappeared under the line of her hair. “How is that different to what Oswald was doing, I might ask?”
“Because I don’t mean it like that and you know it!” he snapped. How dare she compare him to that bastard? Forget beautiful and stimulating, this woman was maddening and he should stay well away for fear of losing his mind. “I had no intention of pouncing on you like a beast. You know that Wolf asked me to come to give information to your father.”
Far from being chastened, she snorted. “Did you intend to go find my father in bed also? Or did you reserve that honor only to me?”
“Damn it, woman! Why must you vex me so all the time?”
“Because you let me. And I think you enjoy it.”
This confounding answer caused Haakon to still. She was right. Had he been indifferent to her, he wouldn’t have let any of her taunts vex him. He would not still be here, waiting for the next insult or shocking comment to come. He would have retaliated in kind. What did that say about him?
